Dreaming Differences
Petr (45) gains all the time in the world, only to discover his promised freedom might be a trap.
After losing his job, former post manager Petr is told his only chance in a hyper-efficient society is Rouse– a procedure eliminating sleep. He initially resists, finding love with Ema, a nurse treating Rouse's chronic side effects. Desperate, Petr undergoes the procedure to work 24/7 at a drone logistics firm. The endless grind and mounting side effects soon threaten his mind and his relationship, forcing him to choose between the system and the love he might soon lose.
Director's note
Dreaming Differences can be categorised as sci-fi, but it focuses on the characters rather than the technology. It takes an existing social phenomenon and pushes it to the point of absurdity to show how alarming some current social problems are. The film aims to portray the constant pressure to be productive, along with the agitation and restlessness it creates. It also questions the empty promise of a good life under capitalism, where rest is always postponed until later – but later never comes.
The concept for this fictional near-future world began with a simple question: What if I never had to sleep again? Sleep would no longer divide my life into separate days, and I would experience a sense of continuity until the day I died.
Biography
Kateřina Winkler graduated in Documentary Filmmaking from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. Her films span documentary, experimental and fiction. Extraction (2019) premiered at the Ji.hlava IDFF. Rheum (2021) premiered at the Karlovy Vary IFF, screened at the San Sebastián IFF and Warsaw IFF, and was shortlisted for the Yugo BAFTA Student Awards. She is currently developing her feature debut, Dreaming Differences.
Producer's note
In a capitalist society, sleep is often treated as an unpleasant necessity that we have to go through in order to be productive again the next day. People struggle with sleep deprivation because it is impossible to work full-time, spend quality time with loved ones, do the chores, eat well and get enough sleep. We can't do all of this in a day. And when we do make time for our loved ones, we often fail to emotionally connect with them due to exhaustion from work. That's what drew me to the project. It captures, in a quiet but perceptive way, how work and a lack of sleep affect our relationships and our ability to be present with one another. I connect with it personally, too: I know what it's like to be caught in that constant cycle of never having enough time.
Dreaming Differences is planned as a three-country co-production, with partners from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. We are currently looking for a third co-production partner.
The project was previously presented at FEST – Pitching Forum, where it won the Feature Gems Award, and at Bratislava Industry Days, where it received the Tatino Films Award. It also took part in Music & Cinema Marseille's Third Character Market.
Biography
Nataša J. Findrová is a producer and cultural manager. She studied Documentary Directing and Film Production at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where she now also teaches. Alongside developing her first feature film with Murmur Films, she works as a line and executive producer on other Slovak productions. She produced the main campaign for Trenčín – European Capital of Culture 2026, and since 2018 has been part of the team at Kino Lumière and several Slovak film festivals.
Profile
Murmur Films is an independent production company founded in Bratislava in 2022 by Nataša Jurčová Findrová. It focuses on films and commercials, with projects including Kateřina Winkler's debut feature Dreaming Differences. It also develops PR and marketing campaigns for theatrical film releases.